Manuscript reading room

In the manuscript reading room you can access our valuable collection. It contains manuscripts, personal papers, autographs, publications before 1830, documents of particular value between the 18th to the 21st century, historical maps and musical manuscripts. Interlibrary loans of the preceding types are also kept in the manuscript reading room.Fact sheet

Use

In order to use the collections, a library card, or a valid identity card or passport must be presented. We kindly ask you to announce your visit and the desired medium several days in advance, if possible. To do so, you may use the online registration form.

Information

Our library staff in the Historical Collections will be happy to provide you with further information. Their emphasis is on manuscripts, early prints, the music and map collection, the historical libraries, the Prussica Collection Trunz and the archive “Masters of the Art of Binding”.

Learning and teaching location

You teach at Münster University? You would like to work with your students using originals from the holdings of historical prints, personal papers and manuscripts?
You are welcome to use the manuscript reading room of the ULB as a place of learning and teaching. Out of opening hours, it is available to you on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesdays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. by arrangement.

Collection of the manuscript reading room

The manuscript reading room contains a reference library of approximately 2500 items. It comprises the most important catalogues for manuscripts and incunables of German and foreign libraries, literature about paleography, book illuminations, the history of letterpress printing and book covers as well as secondary literature. All reference media are listed in the ULB catalogue with the annexe “Handschr.-LS”. The collection can be researched in the online classification system [de].